Working At Play

I am still on vacation.  In the last few days, I have seen tens of thousands of people.  Some poolside.  Some at the beach.  Some at the Disney theme parks.  My family and I have had a great time.  I do wonder, however, about the lengths to which we’ll go to entertain ourselves.  Are they greater than the lengths we’ll go to grow spiritually?  I’m afraid the answer to that question is yes.  I wonder what our world would be like if we put the same effort into becoming Christlike as we do recreating? I imagine we would be more obedient, more loving, more righteous, and more evangelistic than we currently are.  Paul writes,

“If you explain these things to the brothers and sisters, Timothy, you will be a worthy servant of Christ Jesus, one who is nourished by the message of faith and the good teaching you have followed.  Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales.  Instead, train yourself to be godly.  “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”  This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it.  This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers” (1 Timothy 4:6-10, NLT, emphasis added).

Now, don’t get me wrong.  There is not a thing wrong with recreation or vacations.  I just wonder what the face of Christianity would look like if we put as much effort into it as we do the other areas of our lives.